Tayari News
KAMPALA – With schools set to open for the 2026 academic year, the Uganda Police Force has provided a set of guidelines to stakeholders, asking them to prioritise the security and safety of learners.
The force issued operational and transactional guidelines to stakeholders, including learners, parents, school proprietors, and financial institutions, during a weekly press briefing held on Monday, 9th February at Naguru, Kampala.
The police spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke, during the briefing, asked parents and guardians to escort children, especially lower primary pupils and girls, to and from school, where possible, and avoid sending them alone very early in the morning or late in the evening, adding that they should teach children to use main routes, avoid shortcuts and isolated paths.
“For children using boda-bodas, ensure one child per rider and insist on proper safety gear such as helmets and reflective wear.” Said Kituuma
He told parents and guardians to pay attention to items children carry to school, explaining that some students carry prohibited and dangerous items. “Some learners may attempt to smuggle drugs, alcohol, distracting gadgets, or weapons in their luggage.” He guided
Also, to ensure safety, families of learners were told to keep updated contact information for class teachers, matrons, and school administrators, and agree on clear, consistent pick‑up and drop‑off procedures for younger children.
“Strengthen access control to the school. One of the concerns that we have noted is that you find a visitor registering under one name. When we come to investigate to trace who particularly picked this child, when we come back to the records, you find that there was an element of negligence when records were being collected or registered.” Kituuma advised
“Check vehicles, ensure security presence especially at the gates, verify persons picking up children. Some of these parents have conflicts, and if you do not verify the picking and dropping processes, you can be dragged into their conflicts.” He added
Police also advised school proprietors and administrators to strengthen access control to school premises, record all visitors, restrict unnecessary entry, check vehicles entering school premises and maintain a visible security presence at the gate during drop‑off and pick‑up times.
The custodian of law and order told school bosses to establish clear procedures for dropping off and collecting learners, including verification of the person picking up a child, to prevent incidents where children are reported missing or kidnapped, especially in the context of domestic or marital disputes.
Other guidelines include, but not limited to regularly inspect the school environment to eliminate safety hazards such as open manholes, dilapidated latrines, cracked buildings, loose electrical wiring, or unstable school blocks, maintain functional fire extinguishers in key areas of the school and train both staff and as many students as possible on how to use them and respond to fire emergencies; inspect learners’ belongings on arrival and periodically during term to detect illegal substances, distracting gadgets, or dangerous weapons that could endanger others.
Police further advised banks and financial institutions to promote alternative payment methods such as digital wallets, mobile banking, and online banking to reduce cash-based over-the-counter transactions, which not only mitigates fraud risks but also minimises congestion and inconvenience in banking halls.
“Work closely with schools to support safer digital school‑fees payment channels (such as dedicated school pay platforms and controlled payment links) and to sensitise parents about phishing emails, fake WhatsApp messages, and unsolicited “discount” offers.” The police publicist noted